WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 11, 2024
WEDNESDAY OF THE SECOND WEEK OF ADVENT C
St Damasus I, Pp. (Opt. Mem.)
Isaiah 40:25-31
Matthew 11:28-30
JESUS THE COMFORTER AND STRENGTH OF THE WEARY
The human strength occasionally goes tired, worn out and fatigued. How and where do we renew our strength. Who do we run to during those moments when the strength of man wanes?
Jesus in the Gospel of today offers us hope, reassurance and himself as the only remedy to renew our strength and ourselves when we get tired, exhausted and worn out. ““Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
This consolation is precisely for those who feel worn out, those who labour and those who are under burden. Jesus becomes our rest, our peace and our strength. He promises us, rest and peace. But again, the rest and peace is not without some responsibilities. He wants us to make a necessary exchange. “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
The kind of rest Jesus wishes and offers to us is that which he has designed for us as his creatures. Not the ones we assume outside him. Jesus calls us therefore to abandon the choices we are making for ourselves, the lifestyle we decided to live by ourselves, the tasks we laid on ourselves, and the burdens and responsibilities we assigned to ourselves that are strangulation us, killing us and weighing us down.
Returning to the source of our lives, we must look up to Jesus for what he has in stock for us, we must assume that which he has designed for us.
As in the days of Prophet Isaiah, when the people became tired, worn out and exhausted in exile and in captivity because of their failing to trust, hope and live by the decrees and ordinances of God, they were conquered and taken into captivity. There, their strength failed, their courage waned and they became tired. The message of Isaiah is one that calls the people to return to the teachings, ordinances and plans that the Lord had for them. Isaiah encourages the people to see this plan of God and compare it with what they are experiencing presently.
And going further, Isaiah gives the attributes that the God of Israel is known for. A faithful God, a God who renews the strength of his people, a God who takes interest in the life of the people. And to crown is all, he instructs them, “The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary, his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.”
So for us and to us, God promises, “they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” We are therefore encouraged to hock up to Jesus, trust in him, follow his ordinances and walk in his ways. By so doing, our strength will be renewed. The advent season offers us this unique renewing experience. As we begin our Parish advent retreat today, let us rest in his peace and renew our strength in Christ Jesus by coming to learn from him, praying for strength and gaining the healing he gives.
God our Father, we believe in you and summit ourselves to you. Renew, O Lord, our strength, bless our efforts, carry our burdens and uphold us in this battle of life. Father, hear us, and lift us up, Bless us and heal us, empower us and strengthen our weary hearts. May we live happily and faithfully trusting in your saving mystery through Christ our Lord.
Fr Norbert Uchuno
